Break Point (2015): Movie Review

Two estranged brothers reunite on the tennis court in Break Point. Directed by Jay Karas,
this sports comedy is a story of familial reconciliations and one’s redemption
from past mistakes.

Co-writer Jeremy Sisto plays Jimmy Price, a 35-year-old
tennis badass. Hot-tempered and aggressive, he has a nasty habit of alienating his
partners. He was once a teenage champion who went pro but things turned sour
after that. So when he decides to give one last shot at the upcoming Open, no
one is interested to pair up with him. Apparently having no choice, he turns to
his younger brother whom he has not spoken to in many years.

Like Jimmy, Darren (David Walton) is also a tennis fan but
dreams of greater prestige had been given up since his brother abandoned him for
a better pro. He has been a substitute teacher for seven years and in his spare
hours, he frequents the local court and hits the tennis ball by himself. Unfortunately,
he has just been dumped, in time for a surprise visit from his brother.

Darren agrees to be Jimmy’s partner only if he stops drinking
and gets serious with their training. During their practice and bonding time together,
some people lend their support. Friendless local boy Barry (Joshua Rush), who
is Darren’s student and who has Pinocchio-meet-Katy-Perry fashion sense, serves
as the ball boy. Their veterinarian father, Jack (J.K. Simmons), also comes
along, as well as his attractive nurse Heather (Amy Smart) who has been Darren’s
crush since they were kids. With everything geared up, the brothers vie for
pre-qualifying tournaments for the Open.

Break Point is a
modest, easygoing and mild-mannered production. It does not have the hunger and
intensity typical of sports films. It’s not even like the recent HBO’s tennis
comedy 7 Days in Hell. It is simply
light, uncomplicated and sometimes very funny. Sadly, it is very predictable and
it nicely fits any standard formulas on healing old wounds and redemption
stories. Like any sports film, it has that conventional getting in shape
montage, underdog-to-heroes arc and supportive family elements. It does not
reinvent and some subplots are unnecessary like Darren finding love and the
whole Barry thing.

Apparently, the film is more interested in the brothers’
story than the actual sport itself. No wonder the tennis game plays are lamely executed,
lacking any sense of excitement and thrilling high. Both Sisto and Walton are
believable as tennis players as their forehands, backhands and serves are strong
and confident. Yet, the frames simply do not create the visual illusion of
being in actual Open tennis matches.

Still, the two lead actors are able to command interest in the
face of thinly-drawn material. They have natural gift for comic timing and they
flawlessly throw lines with spunk and wit. Sisto’s Jimmy is an obnoxious character
one can’t help but love in spite of his self-destructiveness. With his serious,
dolt face, Walton’s Darren balances Jimmy’s roughness with his bland charisma. Rush
is also a sweet and sympathetic interlude in this very manly film.

Break Point fails
to break sports comedy conventions. It is generic and unsurprising. Yet, with
Sisto’s and Walton’s sharp comic chemistry and solid moments of interplay, it
is an engrossingly funny film all throughout.

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We may pursue many dreams but it is always our passions that will give our lives deeper meaning. I am an agricultural engineer by records, a university instructor by profession, and a blogger by heart...